Intended joy ride to South Florida ends with teen arrested, friend being sought

Published: Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 6:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 6:44 p.m.

What began last weekend as a determined desire by an 18-year-old and an acquaintance to attend a boxing match more than 200 miles away has ended with a trail of one disappointment after another, along with a comedy of errors.

It also ended with one of the two incarcerated and the other on the run.

The quest by Dylan Davis Gentry and his alleged accomplice to attend the boxing match in Broward County began the weekend of Feb. 15, according to Ocala Police Detectives Shawn Hardman, Steve Daunhauer and Melissa Buetti, with the burglary of several unlocked vehicles at Magnolia Walk Apartments, 2501 SW 10th St., as the duo looked for cash and spare change that was assist them in getting to their destination.

Those burglaries only netted $10 in change and a pair of size 11 Giorgio Brutini shoes, police said. Then a witness said he spotted Gentry, with knife in hand, attempting to enter the front office of the apartment complex.

Spooked, Gentry and his reported partner in crime fled the area, but not before Gentry left behind his fingerprint, which was later used to later identify him.

On their journey, the duo ended up stealing a 2001 Ford F-250 pickup truck that was parked outside a residence on Southwest 35th Avenue. Detectives said the vehicle was unlocked. With a spare key inside the truck, the duo drove from Ocala and onto Interstate 75, where it appeared they were well on their way to South Florida.

That was until the pickup ran out of gas on I-75 in Pasco County early the morning of Feb. 16.

A road ranger with the Department of Transportation saw the vehicle. Help was extended to the duo, but the truck would not start, at which point the road ranger allowed Gentry and his friend to use his phone to see if anyone would pick them up.

One of the persons called was Gentry’s mother. Before leaving, Gentry told the road ranger they had left Ocala and were heading to Lakeland.

Abandoning the truck, the duo were determined to find an alternative to continue their trip.

A few hours later, a second road ranger came upon the vehicle, but found no one with the pickup.

During this time, detectives said Gentry and his friend walked around the Pasco County area, where they stumbled upon an open garage door in which a 1999 Mercedes 230 series sat.

Luck was on the duo’s side as they found the keys in the car and drove off. The two stopped in Lakeland, where they visited Gentry’s mother, then continued on their journey.

Just when it looked like they were going to make it to the boxing match, the Mercedes ran out of gas in Palm Beach County.

Stranded, Gentry and his friend exited the vehicle and began pushing it until a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy noticed them and decided to offer help. Before he could help, Gentry’s accomplice ran, leaving him behind.

The deputy ran the tag of the Mercedes and, discovering the vehicle was reported stolen from Pasco County, arrested Gentry shortly after 6 p.m. on Feb. 17, and transported him to the Palm Beach County West Detention Center in Belle Glade.

With Gentry in jail, back in Ocala, detectives Hardman, Daunhauer and Buetti were investigating the rash of vehicle burglaries in Ocala and got a match on a palm print left behind that belonged to Gentry.

Then they learned Gentry had been arrested and was currently locked up in South Florida.

They also were told about Gentry wanting to attend a boxing match and the Mercedes being stolen in Pasco County on Feb. 16. A pocket knife and a collared white shirt with blue/black horizontal stripes that Gentry was seen wearing by the witness on Feb. 15 were recovered from the vehicle.

After gathering additional information and piecing together their time line of events, Hardman and Daunhauer traveled to the detention center in Palm Beach County to talk with Gentry on Thursday.

There, Gentry told them he was in Ocala the night of Feb. 15 and he and his friend were high on marijuana and were drinking. He said he and his friend entered several unlocked vehicles, and admitted to wearing the striped shirt and having the pocket knife at the time. He said he was at the front office door at the apartment complex but denied trying to break in.

The money and the shoes, he said, were taken in the burglaries, and the cash was used to purchase gas for the trip. The shoes, Gentry said, could not fit him, so he left them in the back of the Mercedes.

Returning to Ocala, detectives on Friday charged Gentry with several offenses, including multiple counts of burglary of a conveyance and grand theft auto.

It’s unknown when Gentry will return to Ocala, as he faces other charges in Pasco County. His friend is still at large.

Anyone with any information or whereabouts of Gentry’s friend can call the detectives at 369-7000, Crime Line at 369-7061 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com. Tipsters also can text “ocalapd” and a tip to TIP411.

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